TMZ Sports - Page 50

Talk about putting your money where your mouth is ... pro athletes are now spending THOUSANDS of dollars to pimp out their mouthpieces with diamonds and gold ... TMZ Sports has learned.

In fact, NBA star Nate Robinson is part of the "pimp your mouthpiece" movement -- and recently picked up a $5,300 customized mouthguard that's chock-full of real gold foil.

The man behind the piece is Dr. Michael Wright of "The WrightGuard" ... who tells us high-end custom protection is becoming a major trend with athletes in a variety of sports ... from hoops to football and boxing.

In fact, Wright says he was recently approached by a NFL star who's playing in the Super Bowl (Wright says he can't reveal the player's ID) ... who requested a mouthpiece with some massive diamonds flanking the front.

"The Super Bowl athlete brought his own diamonds," Wright says ... "I don't know how many carats, but they were huge."

Wright says his mouthpieces are just as functional as they are flossy -- and says he has a special 3-layer process to make sure the gold, silver and/or diamonds are sealed in a way that it won't harm the user.

Wright says he's gotten some crazy requests from some of his athletes -- some people want team logos others want their Twitter handles -- and says team reps sometimes oversee the process to make sure the mouthpiece complies with uniform standards.

With so much customization at the pro level (mouthguards, cleats, etc) ... keep an eye out for the platinum diamond-encrusted jockstrap in the future.

Super Bowl? More like the Uber Bowl ... 'cause TMZ Sports has learned Uber drivers from all over Arizona are headed to Phoenix in droves ... hoping to cash in on that crazy Super Bowl traffic.

A rep for Uber tells us ... they've noticed a surge in drivers heading to Phoenix this week (from places like Flagstaff and Tucson) ... and it seems pretty obvious why.

With a full week of parties, events ... and of course the mad rush to the big game (surge pricing?) -- there could be A LOT of money to be made this week.

But get this ... Uber says drivers from out of state are out of luck ... because Uber drivers are only authorized to pick up passengers in the state where they are registered.

Newsflash -- Marshawn Lynch has a FUNNY side ... and here's the hilarious video that proves it.

The Seattle Seahawks running back teamed up with the enemy (Rob Gronkowski) for a hilarious video game battle on "Conan" ... which quickly turned into a comedy session

The segment is pretty hilarious ... with Lynch crackin' drug jokes ... Gronk making a boner pill joke ... and overall hilarity ensuing.

Unclear when the guys found time to shoot the bit -- which is set to air Thursday on TBS -- but it seems like the two NFL superstars really hit it off.

#RealityShowSpinoff? #Please #BeastMeetsGronk #LethalWeapon5? #ImJustHereSoIDontGetFined

Kevin Hart might be a man of the tiny variety but he proved his heart is as big as Texas Wednesday ... invading the UT locker room and working out with some of the biggest beasts in college football.

Hart is in Austin on a promotional tour for his movie "The Wedding Ringer" -- and decided to stop by the University of Texas workout facility for a sweat session with the Longhorns.

Of course, Hart took a bunch of photos with virtually anyone who wanted one -- but when it came time to grind, Kev hit the weights, ran a sled-drill and busted out some cardio.

UT is no stranger to celebrity visitors, having hosted Matthew McConaughey last season ... although the only muscle Matty worked out that day was his mouth (remember the inspirational speech?)

One last thing ... as far as we know, no quarterbacks were roasted during Hart's visit.

Renowned golfer and occasional saxophonist Kenny G knows how to swing the crooked stick, and in all his golf-playing days ... one NFL star stands out above the rest.

Our photog spotted Kenny in New York City Wednesday afternoon ... and he told us about his favorite course to play. He's got a pretty conventional choice.

But when we asked Kenny to name the best football player he's ever played a round with ... he didn't hesitate.

Not even a Chicago Bears fan could hate this video of Aaron Rodgers paying a surprise visit to four kids ... who lost a parent in the military. Grab the Kleenex.

The Green Bay Packers quarterback met with 3 sisters -- Alexis, Starr and Kylee -- and a young man named Dylan ... to spotlight the great work done by Camp Hometown Heroes in Wisconsin.

The girls didn't seem to be big football fans, but you have to see Dylan freak out when he realizes Aaron Rodgers has shown up.

Katy Perry's boobs could make you A LOT of money -- because they've just become the focal points of a new Super Bowl prop bet ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The cyber-gambling site BetOnline.ag is offering up a bet -- where you can place money on whether you think Katy will show cleavage or no cleavage during her Super Bowl halftime show.

Right now ... the odds are STRONGLY for boobage:

"Yes" is -500
"No" is +350

Translation -- if you bet "no," $100 gets you $350. If you bet "yes," you need to wager $500 to earn a measly $100.

Some other prop bets?

-- The coin toss
-- Color of the Gatorade thrown on the winning coach
-- Hoodie type worn by Bill Belichick (sleeves vs. no sleeves)
-- Katy Perry's wardrobe at the beginning of Halftime (pants vs. shorts vs. dress or skirt)
-- Length of the National Anthem

... and get this -- you can bet on who Barack Obama will pick to win the Super Bowl.

Good luck.

Baltimore Ravens safety Will Hill is wanted by NJ officials -- after allegedly stiffing his baby mama out of more than $16k in child support ... TMZ Sports has learned.

According to official documents obtained by TMZ Sports, the 24-year-old is on the hook for $16,588.18 in unpaid support to a woman in New Jersey.

Law enforcement sources tell us an arrest warrant has been issued. There won't be a "fugitive" style manhunt for the guy ... but if a cop pulls him over and runs his info, he'll be arrested on the spot.

In fact, that's exactly what happened to Hill in December 2013 ... when he was arrested in NJ on a warrant for outstanding child support payments.

Hill (who was playing for the NY Giants back then) eventually paid up ... and actually played in a game against the Detroit Lions just days later.

Hill is considered a pretty solid player on the Ravens -- and had a key pick 6 interception against the Saints in week 12.

Several high-powered law enforcement agencies want everyone to know -- they're all working TOGETHER to protect the Super Bowl.

The NFL just issued a statement saying reps from the following agencies are on board:

-- Department of Homeland Security
-- Immigration and Customs Enforcement
-- FBI
-- United States Secret Service
-- Phoenix PD
-- Glendale PD

The entire gang is scheduled to brief the media on the security plans around 12 PM PT.

Gordon Ramsay is JACKED, SON!!!

The "Hell's Kitchen" chef was out in Malibu on Tuesday ... strollin' around in his workout gear after a triathlon training session -- flexin' a serious pair of guns.

Turns out, 48-year-old Ramsay is a hardcore athlete ... he's completed 15 marathons, 3 ultra-marathons, 3 half-Ironmans and the actual Ironman in Hawaii.

FYI -- Ramsay started running marathons in 2001 ...and says his goal is to break the 3:30 mark.

In fact, Gordon clocked in a time of 3:30:14 back 2004 ... but says he chocked that up to posing for pics for fans and signing autographs.

He's been called the "King of Trash Talk" ... and now UFC superstar Nick Diaz is spitting his venom right at New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick ... saying the guy is completely "full of s**t."

In a new promo spot for UFC 183, Diaz goes in on Coach B ... mocking his Deflate-Gate news conference ... and claiming that Bill's "been selling bulls**t this whole time."

Finally, a highlight at the Lakers game.

For some reason, Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden decided to hit up Staples Center in L.A. Tuesday night to watch the Kobe-less Lakers go down in flames to the Washington Wizards.

But during a break in the action, the newlyweds (married just 3 weeks ago) were put on the "Kiss Cam" ... and they came through strong with some PDA as several fans clapped and cheered.

Shaquille O'Neal ain't gonna be the next Seinfeld ... and LeBron James is no Alex Trebek ... so says ESPN's Bill Simmons who thinks both NBA stars are likely to crash and burn with their new TV projects.

As we previously reported, Shaq's got a sitcom in the works based on his real-life business empire ... and LeBron's production company is partnering with NBC to create a new primetime game show.

But Simmons tells TMZ Sports ... neither venture looks promising -- "I wouldn't invest in either of those."

Simmons on Shaq -- "I don't have a lot of high hopes for that sitcom. I don't see the sitcom thing happening."

Simmons on LeBron -- "I think game shows usually don't work. I probably have more high hopes for the Shaq show."

Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao are both at the Miami Heat game RIGHT NOW -- sitting across the court from each other.

Sooooo ... STOP THE BASKETBALL GAME ... FIND SOME GLOVES AND LET'S DO THIS RIGHT NOW!!!

#WishfulThinking

JaMarcus Russell might've finally given up on his NFL dreams, but his dreams of living like a boss look very alive 'cause TMZ Sports has a pic of the former #1 overall pick hanging with one of the biggest stars in rap ... Rick Ross.

The two hung out on January 16th after Ross performed the same day at the Nightown nightclub in Destin, Florida. We're told Russell -- a HUGE fan -- heard about the show and drove all the way in to chop it up with Rozay.

Judging from the pic, the two seemed to hit it off -- and had a great time while partying with several bottles of Ross' Luc Belaire Rare Rose.

Here's the thing ... Russell has struggled with substance abuse in the past (sizzurp) ... and also had a close call with foreclosure -- so it's interesting to see him balling out with booze and a fancy piece of jewelry on his wrist.

On a more hilarious note -- the reason why Russell is partly cropped out of the picture is because the woman who took the photo is Julia Beverly -- the founder of Ozone Magazine and Pimp C's biographer -- and she didn't know who he was.

What do a 7'0" center for the Denver Nuggets and a 5'10" safety for the Houston Texans have in common?

A love of dat ass ...

Cause JaVale McGee (the center) and D.J. Swearinger (the safety) were both at a L.A. strip club this past Monday CRUSHING it ... showing more than $16K on some of the hard working ladies.

The two stars hit up Ace Of Diamonds in L.A. -- the hottest new shake spot in the city -- and from what we're told the two went BANANAS inside the joint, spending some serious green on the ta-ta talent.

For those keeping count, our booty club sources say JaVale -- who makes about $12 mil-a-year -- dropped around $10K while D.J. -- who "only" banks about $800K a year -- precipitated an impressive $6K.